Reversed Pathology
by Celestial Nova
Summary: Bounded to each other since she was a child, Tifa, now a 22 year-old woman, must now not only do her wifely duties, but also run the nation she was destined to run, but at a price.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone. My third story here on Fanfiction. Since Nightwalkers is doing well, I decided to start writing one of my concepts I had posted on my channel. So without further ado, let's begin the first chapter.**

Angry footsteps echoed in the castle as a young man rushed down the hall. As usual, arguments followed by multiples kisses, followed by more arguments were the start of his day. His queen was being difficult, which was also customary to his morning. The young man shoved one of his servants as he turned the hallway swiftly. The servant, looking back with an angry, confused look upon his face, continued walking towards his destination. The young man went into his private chambers and slammed the door behind him. Snatching his cape away from his back, the young man threw the material on the floor. The sun peered inside the chambers beautifully. The sky was clear; a perfect day for gardening. Several servants and gardeners were moving about planting and gathering fruits and vegetables. There was a chocobo stable a few yards from the gardening all of which were adorned by the castle's crest, a purple-like creature that had orange-like mane going from the top of its head and stopped midway followed by a blend of orange and red fangs, that was centered of rose gold armor. All of the chocobos were gold, black, and white.

There were also several merchants coming in and out of the castle bringing supplies and food. A sound came from the double doors. The young king didn't even bother to turn to see who it was. There was only one person that was allowed to come into his chambers unannounced. One would think that person would be his queen, but that would be inaccurate. The young man looked into the window to see an older man looking back at him with a frustrated expression.

"Say what you will, but don't forget, I am your king."

The older man sighed. "You bore me with your so called threats. Care to explain to me why I hear the queen is brokenhearted and crying?"

The king snorted. Of course the queen cried and made a scene. She was simply looking for sympathy because her king doesn't have an ounce of compassion towards her. The older man sighed at the young man's actions. He'd seen this behavior before; young men who were named king at an early age and let the power corrupt their heart. He has been around the castle for a little over eight decades to see each ruler repeat the same pathology, none of them being able to break the never-ending behavior, except for one. It was hard to stop but eventually, the king and queen were able to meet some sort of common ground. The previous king and queen, before the hot-headed king in front him, were two people but one soul. As one of the eldest members inside the castle, it was the man's duty to make sure the terror stops permanently.

"My Lord, surely you know you are wrong."

The young man turned and glared at the elder man. "You dare question my actions, Ramuh?"

Ramuh sighed, moving towards the young man. Like many rulers before him, they were all fed the same lecture on being king. Ramuh motioned for the king to sit. The young man obliged but with the glare still on his face.

"My Lord, you must apologize to her. Do you dare disappoint your nation?"

The young man was about to bellow at the elder for questioning him but stopped when the elder man mentioned his nation. He knew what the elder man really meant behind his words. It was a touchy subject for the young king. He quickly got up and looked out of the window, observing the servants and merchants move about. The older man waited for his king's reply. The king looked at Ramuh's reflection for a second before turning towards Ramuh to give him his undivided attention.

"What were they like?"

Ramuh chuckled a little at the young king's curiosity. He sat on the bed and began telling the tale of the one king and queen that defied the typical, harsh laws that they were destined to follow, in hopes they're successors would follow the same path.

* * *

><p>The flames illuminated the small private chamber belonging to a short-haired girl. The chambers were decorated in pink. Teddy bears were perfectly lined up against the window on the window pane. There were dolls scattered about on the floor. The girl and three of her favorite adult-sized dolls were at a table with a porcelain tea set in front of her. Unlike most girls' tea parties, the girl had actual tea. She brought a cup carefully to one of her teddy bears and quickly placed it back down when she heard hurried footsteps approaching her room.<p>

A woman with long blonde hair braided to the side burst into the chambers with a worried expression on her face. She snapped her head at the girl, who too had a worried expression. The blonde quickly closed the door and locked it. She quickly ran over to the bed and began grabbing several articles of clothing and using the bed sheet she roughly snatched away from bed as a travel bag. The girl ran over to the window and saw several men on chocobos approaching the castle.

"Mommy, what's going on?" The girl questioned.

"There's no time to explain." The blonde panicked. She threw the sheet over her back and went to the girl. "We must get to the main chamber, sweetie."

"Why?" The girl didn't understand what was going on.

The mother replied with a swift push, urging the girl to move forward. The girl reluctantly followed her mother's orders and began walking towards the main chambers. As the pair approached the main chamber, she began to worry. She should have been a proper mother and told her daughter that her fate to leave Midgar was coming soon. They arrived in the main chamber and the girl immediately ran to her father.

"Father!" The girl hugged her father tightly. "Why is Mommy acting strange?"

The father snapped his head towards the mother, who tried to swallow away the lump that was forming inside her throat. "You didn't tell her?"

"What was I supposed to say?!"

The front doors opened before the argument could escalate further. A tall, slender man walked inside the chambers along with a brunette woman at his side, both adorned with rose gold crowns. The man slowly stood from his throne; his frightened wife and child next to him.

"I can see your daughter is ill prepared." The slender man noted as he saw the child's frightened face.

"Yes, well, my wife just informed me that she hasn't informed my daughter." The man glared at his queen and then looked at the slender man. "However, we must fulfill the treaty between Midgar and Edge."

"That is correct." The slender began to rub his hands together and clapped them once he was done. "So? Shall we get down to business?"

"Father, what's happening?"

The girl's question went unanswered as her father guided the guests to a small section that had a table, ink feather, and parchment. Frighten almond eyes met bright cerulean eyes that were now filling with tears. Her mother knelled in front of her and placed her hands on her daughter's small, slumped shoulders.

"Honey, you have to leave for Edge." Her mother's tone was firm but shaky.

"Why? Why do I have to go Mother?" Tears began to fall freely from her almond eyes.

"We have a peace treaty with Edge and part of the agreement of peace was…" Her mother hesitated and glanced at her king, who was now writing on parchment. The king of Edge was looking over at her with mirth. She quickly turned away and turned her attention back to her daughter. "For you to rule Edge." Her mother finished her sentence.

The girl's eyes widened. "Mommy, I'm not old enough to be a queen! I wanna stay here and be with you and Father!"

"Hush child with all that sadness." Her father yelled over to her. "You are going to be a queen, like it or not. You are bounded until death."

"No! I don't want to!"

"It's not about what you want to do! You have no choice in this matter!" Her father bellowed.

"How dare you talk to her that way?!" Her mother stood firmly, a mistake she will soon learn from. Her king glared at her. His hand connected to her right cheek leaving a red mark on her face.

"How dare you defy me in front of our guests?" Her king gritted. "How quickly you forget, you are expendable."

The king turned to his guests and smiled. "Well, now that the signatures are taken care of, I think it's time to go."

The girl's sobs were getting louder and louder as her mother handed her things over to the king of Edge. Her father knelled in front of her and shook his head. "You need to stop, grow up, and be the queen you are destined to be."

"But I don't wanna be queen of Edge, Father! I wanna be queen of Midgar and stay here with you!"

"In order to keep the peace between the two nations, you must go and you will go. You have no other option." Her father replied rather harshly.

Servants began taking the girl's personal belongings out the front entrance of the castle. Her mother began to have a nervous breakdown as she handed the bed sheet to the queen of Edge. The king of Midgar rolled his eyes, sighing at the pathetic scene. His daughter will do Midgar a favor by fulfilling the peace treaty. The queen hugged her daughter one last time before walking her over to the queen of Edge.

"Take care of her."

"She will be a proper ruler." The queen replied.

The girl frowned at the queen and looked at her mother. Her mother shook her head sorrowfully and gazed at her king. The king motioned for his queen and daughter to leave the chambers. The queen of Edge grabbed the girl's hand but the girl snatched her hand away. She began to plead with her mother and father, begging them to not allow these strange rulers take her to Edge. Her father kept saying you have to go, while the mother cried. Her father yelled at the two of them, disgusted with their behavior. Kings and queens shouldn't act in this manner. Her father pushed the girl into the queen's arm, demanding they ensure that his daughter will be a proper ruler.

The crying and shouting were heard clearly as the king and queen of Edge practically dragged the girl away from her parents. The girl's pleas didn't cease, though she knew they were feeble. The king lifted the girl up and put her inside the carriage, commanding his queen to get in and settled the child. With one more respectable bow to the king and queen of Midgar, the king of Edge got into the carriage and the chocobo tamer commanded the chocobo to move, carrying in the trio in tow.

The girl's cries slowly began to cease as she realized that this was her destiny. She looked at the woman who was now going to look after her, along with the man. She was merely a ten year-old girl. How can she be queen of a nation she has no knowledge of? Midgar was her nation, the nation she lived in since birth. How could her mother and father give her up so easily? She wiped away the tears that filled her eyes, turned around, and stuck her head cautiously out of the carriage at Midgar. She knew she would probably never see the nation again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone for reading this. Hopefully I can keep the interest going. Also, for those who celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving. **

The gold chocobo finally slowed its pace. The young brunette woke up to see two unfamiliar faces looking at her. She hid her expression away from the adults as the thoughts of past events began to rush through her head. She poked her head out of the carriage and couldn't stop the amused tone from escaping her small, thin lips. The castle was made in marble and separated in four large sections. On one end of the courtyard, there were several chocobos stables. On the opposite side, there was a garden and a small section for merchants to come and go inside the castle. There were women carrying large pots, baskets, and other goods on top of their heads. Each knight was adorned with a crest, a red-winged dragon with several deadly-looking fangs inside its mouth and a gold-like under carriage. The beast appeared to be dragon.

In the middle of the courtyard, there was a large fountain. There was a girl standing by it with her eyes closed. Moments later, she tossed a coin inside the fountain and walked away. The chocobo stopped momentarily and continued its path after its tamer told it to move. The knights and chocobos appeared to be stronger than the ones in Midgar. There was another small section where knights were practicing their swords arts. Amazing was simply an understatement to describe the castle. Though the girl was snatched away from her true kingdom, she couldn't help but to admire the architecture.

"You're going to rule this kingdom one day." The queen spoke.

The girl sat comfortably inside and looked at the queen, who gave the child a small smile. The girl stole a glance at the king, who was busy writing something on a piece of parchment.

"What's your name?" The queen spoke again.

The girl gnawed on her lip before responding. She wasn't sure she should answer the woman's question.

"Apparently you're not aware of the rules here in Edge." The king spoke in a harsh tone. The girl jumped in fear. He tore his eyes away from the parchment. "When someone asks you a question, you answer. You may be the heir to Edge but don't let that go to your head. You are to obey us. Now, what is your name?"

"T….Tifa." The girl mumbled.

"Well then Tifa." The queen spoke. "I'm Katherine and that is Grimoire." Katherine pointed to Grimoire, who was writing again on the parchment he previously tended to before turning harsh on the small child. "You may be a child now, but with our help, you'll be the perfect woman and queen."

"And wife." Grimoire added as he placed his quill feather into a small box that was located to his left. Tifa frowned. She didn't understand. Her being married at such a young age? Could such a thing be possible?

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand."

The king sighed. What the hell did her mother and father teach the child in front of him? How is it possible that the ten year-old girl didn't know anything about proper etiquette and respect? "Don't you know anything child?"

Tifa flinched away. The king's harsh behavior was being to make her feel uneasy. "In order to be a queen, you must marry someone in line for the throne as well. My son is supposed to rule and you will serve him as his queen."

A protest was close from escaping the girl's lips, but Katherine quickly covered her mouth. She could already see that several lectures were going to be needed in order to save the child's hide. It's evident that her parents, from what she observed, her mother, more specifically, didn't educate this child the ways of being a woman in royalty. Grimoire observed the child as well. He hoped he had made the right choice in choosing this child for his son instead another princess.

The chocobo finally made a complete stop and the trio got from inside the carriage. The girl carefully followed behind King Grimoire with Queen Katherine at her side. She didn't know what to expect. Never in her life had she experience such disrespect and verbal abuse. For as long as she could remember, her mother and father were kind to her. Her father would often tell her what defines man and how a man should act towards her. The behavior between the king and queen of Edge had shown her that things were different here. It would be a while before old habits died. Grimoire, Katherine, and Tifa walked through the main entrance of the castle. They were greeted by people whose armor was adorned by the same insignia the knights had on their armor outside. To Tifa, all of the men looked the same, except for one.

Bright red eyes, long raven hair, tall, slender but muscular met with Tifa's almond eyes. He couldn't have been the same age like the other men who surrounded the king. The man looked at her in what appears to be confusion. She bit her lips and shied away from his gaze. Mere seconds later, she glanced at him to get a better look. His long red, tattered cape hung low and had a small trail of dust at the edges of it. His armor was rose gold and had the same insignia on it. Half of his face was covered by the cowl of his cape that was fastened by several buckles around his chest area. The king dismissed everyone except for the young man that caught her attention.

"I see you've noticed your soon-to-be-wife." Grimoire smirked when he saw the surprised look upon his son's face.

The young man expected the girl to be older. When he was told he was destined to wed a young lady, didn't know that the term 'lady' was just a fabrication of the term 'child'.

"She's very young but with your strength combined with your mother's teachings, she will walk the path with you in supporting you while you rule Edge."

The young man nodded, and Grimoire let out a hardy laugh. Tifa was frightened, and she didn't know what to expect from this young man. If he truly was this man's son, then she would live in fear for the rest of her life. A man with long white hair wearing a white robe approached the royal pair. He bowed in regard to the four of them and smiled after he bowed respectfully towards Tifa.

"I see our future queen has arrived." Tifa didn't sense any danger she sensed from the previous people she had encountered. She then remembered what the king had said to her on her way inside the castle. She didn't want to be yelled at again.

"Yes sir." Was her reply followed by a small smile.

"At least she's a fast learner." Grimoire growled. "Well, we must start preparations. Katherine, give this clueless child basic etiquette. Ramuh, arrange for the caregivers to get her measurements and dress. We have a wedding to prepare for."

They both bowed before going down the hall. The king turned and left, leaving the future rulers alone in the corridor. Glancing at the old man named Ramuh, and the Queen of Edge, Katherine, talking to people to arrange a wedding, the child once again glanced at her soon-to-be-husband. He too also starred down the hall but with an expression the girl couldn't quite pinpoint. It looked as though worry filled the young man's eyes followed by anger with a hint of confusion. He turned on his heel and began walking in the same direction his father did.

"Hi." The young man turned to see the child gnawing at her bottom lip. "I'm Tifa. I….I don't know what's going on….but" She paused and looked down at her feet.

"But?" The young man pushed.

"But I don't know what to do."

The young man sighed. "Just do what you're told for now."

The tone in the young man's voice was soft with a hint of harshness though Tifa didn't dare complain. She would take this kind of treatment over Grimoire's any time of the day. The girl cheered up a little and had finally mustered up enough courage to look at the young man again, his crimson eyes fixed on her.

"Thank you for not being so mean to me. I miss my mommy."

For a split second, the young man felt sorry for the child. She was ripped away from her home in Midgar, only to come to a place that was filled with a lot of anger and animosity. He could tell the child wasn't used to such treatment.

"You can't go back. The best thing you can do is forget about it and move on." Tifa's eyes were saddened by his harsh, yet honest, words. "In time, you will learn how to cope with such devastation."

"Wait! What's your name?" The young man turned on his heel again but stopped when Tifa called after him. He turned just enough to see her small, short, and petite frame.

"Vincent. Vincent Valentine."

Tifa watched Vincent's red cape sway as he turned and began walking down the corridor.

Minutes later Tifa was surrounded by several caregivers. They were taking her measurements and writing down numbers on parchments and began talking to one another. One of the ladies was browsing through several materials that would look nice on her. Another lady was going through another fabric that was foreign to the girl. Katherine snapped her fingers, in an effort to hurry the ladies along with their given tasks. After thirty minutes of constant trying on different fabrics, and having tape measurements on her body, Tifa was finally able to relax.

"Don't get too comfortable, child." Katherine sat next to Tifa as Tifa began to straighten her posture. "I can already see that your parents have given you a sheltered lifestyle." When Tifa replied with a confused expression, Katherine continued her rambling. "In other words, your parents didn't teach you how to be a proper future queen."

"My father taught me loads of stuff about a man and what defines a man."

It was Katherine's turn to reply with a confused expression. "Explain."

"Father always told me that if a man doesn't treat you right, then he isn't worth having."

Katherine had an idea of what the child was talking about but wanted to be sure in case she was wrong. If her guess is correct, then she would have to take necessary action to alter these mannerisms and fast. The girl continued when Katherine didn't speak.

"He also told me that a man that truly loves you is willing to go through anything for you. And-

Her head snapped quickly to the right and she held her cheek and began to slowly soothe it, easing it from the fiery pain she now felt. She glanced at Katherine, whose eyes were now filled with anger and astonishment. She pointed her index finger in the girl's face began talking in a murderous tone.

"A woman who questions and displeases her spouse, especially someone in your position, will be beheaded. No more of this fantasy life your parents painted for you. If it's the last thing I do, I'll be sure those false dreams are completely wiped away from your brain." Tifa nodded slowly as hot tears ran down her face. Ramuh walked into the room, feeling the uneasiness that was in the room. He looked at the pair and sadly shook his head. The poor child was learning the ways of life and royalty the hard way. He informed Katherine that Grimoire and Vincent is waiting for them inside the ballroom, bowed his head, and left the room. The door closed quietly behind Ramuh, leaving Katherine to deal with Tifa.

"Now, if you want to be treated correctly you must follow the rules that I teach you." When Tifa nodded her head slowly, Katherine began drilling the poor child about the ways of men and women. All the rules kept pouring into her head. She didn't dare let any information seep out. Between the information and the 'fantasy life' her mother and father created, she wondered which side was true. Edge was simply a kingdom she didn't want to be a part of. For now, she will dance to their rules, but when the time was right, she will plan her escape. A child she may be, but an intelligent, independent individual she has grown to be over the years.

**Sorry for the tardiness for this chapter. See, I went to go post Chapter 3, only to discover that I forgot to post Chapter 2 after I proofread it, which isn't too bad since I've discovered some errors in Chapter 3.**


	3. Chapter 3

**WARNING: This chapter contains explicit that may not be suitable for some people. You have been advised.**

Katherine walked inside of the main ballroom. Everything was to her liking. The marble floors and pillars were waxed to perfection. The flowers that she demanded were bloomed to perfection and placed nicely on the table at the back of the room. Edge's crest along with red and gold curtains and shimmers were hanging from the ceiling. She glanced at the feast, and made sure that every dish was on the table. She saw Grimoire talking to some young woman. The way he looked at her was the way he used to look at her when they were younger. Katherine was also torn away from her family and was forced to marry Grimoire. Of course, she was against the idea, but weeks after her arrival in Edge, she had come to trust Grimoire. But now, she sees through Grimoire's words and lies. He seduced her and now treated her like common dust on the floors. She may be a queen, a married one at that, but doesn't stop her husband from wondering around. She would've felt a little better if there were several mistresses but there was one.

She smiled brightly at him, her red lipstick and white teeth were bright against the flames in the room. Cissnei, was her name. Her orange-brownish hair was wavy and went well with her gold, valor, and strapless dress. Grimoire whispered something to her before leaving and walking towards Katherine, who quickly turned her head and pretended not to see the flirting.

"Is that damned child ready?"

"Yes. I had to discipline her, but I think she'll be fine." Katherine turned her attention to her husband.

"I hope for your sake she will."

Katherine casted her eyes back to the table, refusing to look him in the eyes. "Did you teach her about tonight's procedure?"

She snapped her head towards Grimoire in sheer shock. "Surely you don't expect the child to go through that do you?"

Grimoire raised his eyebrow. "How can she be a queen if she doesn't submit to my son?"

Katherine was at a lost. Grimoire huffed and walked away from his wife. He figured she would leave such an important piece out of the lecture. Despite Katherine being a queen, she was a woman, a woman who held several emotions. Grimoire shook his head in disgust, not understanding the simplicity of tenderness and kindness. He was once like that towards Katherine, but that was only to secure his spot as a king. A king is nothing without his queen. If a queen were to roam and disobey her king, it shows the weakness and lack of leadership from the king. If he couldn't control the one woman that should obey and give in to his every command, he couldn't control a nation. Some kings would behead their queen if they were to commit adultery. Like his father, and his father's father, Grimoire seduced his way into Katherine's good graces and he expected his son to do the same. After all, he has never met the young child until today so his son really didn't have a choice.

He reached his son's room and invited himself inside without any signal of his arrival. His crimson eyes met his son's crimson eyes as he son adjusted his cape. The red one was temporarily replaced with a red, gold, and white one.

"You look like a great heir, son."

Vincent nodded in regards to his father's compliment. "I've come to tell you that tonight's consummation will be rather difficult." Grimoire spoke.

Vincent raised his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Your mother failed to inform her." Grimoire replied in a disgusted tone. "It's nothing really but I guess for the sake of not traumatizing the child too much, go easy, but just his once."

When Vincent didn't reply, Grimoire continued. "Be in the ballroom in thirty minutes. Your wife awaits you."

Grimoire left the room. As soon as he left, Vincent released his sigh. Why would his father even think of something like that? She was just a child; a ten year-old girl that was innocent to the world. Grimoire noticed how Vincent flinched when mentioned the consummation. As Vincent got older, he noticed his son's hesitation towards certain situations and decisions he has made in the past. Thankfully, for Vincent's sake, Vincent never questioned anything. Vincent's curiosity was expected by Grimoire; he did the same thing when his father was ruling the throne. But Vincent knew better not to question Grimoire's actions. Until he dies, Grimoire is the king, and even though Vincent is next in line to take the throne, he must obey his king. In Grimoire's mind, he's a king before he's a father.

* * *

><p>The ballroom was set to Katherine's standard. She was seated on Grimoire's lap and they were seated on the throne. There was a harp player playing a soft tune to set the mood. Servants and knights knelled down as their prince walked down the aisle. Grimoire smiled proudly at his son. Vincent nodded towards Ramuh, who would finalize the young man's marriage, just like he did with Grimoire and Katherine's wedding. Vincent nodded in regard to his mother and father and took a stance on Ramuh's right side. Tifa peeked down the aisle before taking a peek at herself. She had on a long white, strapless dress with long-sleeved lace on her upper body. She had on a long gold veil with Edge's crest in the center of the gold band that kept the fabric of the veil together. She wished her mother and father was here to see this occasion. She always envisioned her parents on the side smiling at her and her husband. But those days were long gone, and she had to accept that fact.<p>

Tifa waited for her cue from the harp player to start walking down. When she heard the tune, she took a deep breath and began walking slowly down the aisle, just like she was told. Katherine relaxed her body when she saw Tifa following her exact orders. Grimoire nodded in approval of both Tifa's appearance and behavior and gave Katherine a small squeeze.

"You did well." He whispered in her ear and gave her a light kiss on her cheek.

She smiled towards him and did the same gesture, stealing a peek at Cissnei, who stared intently at the queen. Katherine smirked wickedly at the young brunette. She quickly turned her attention to Tifa, who was almost where Ramuh and Vincent stood.

She stopped when she got in front of the pair. She refused to look up until she was told otherwise. According to Katherine, it was a sign of respect.

"Tifa Alexia Lockhart, raise your head and face your future king."

Tifa obeyed and met Vincent's eyes. It looked like he was thinking about something, but she didn't have a chance to wonder on the subject because Ramuh spoke again.

"Walk in front of him and bow down."

Swallowing away a lump, Tifa walked slowly in front of Vincent and was now on Ramuh's left side. Instead of bowing, she kneeled. She felt the tension in the room and wondered did she make a mistake. Katherine inaudibly nodded, delighted that the girl heeded her words.

"_What did Katherine do to this poor child?" _Ramuh thought before he continued onward with the procedure. "Extend your hand to the man in front of you and state your oath."

Without looking up, Tifa extended her left hand slowly towards Vincent. He noticed the nervousness of the child. When Katherine was drilling Tifa about the rules, she neglected to tell her about an oath. Tifa was at a lost, and Grimoire picked up on it. He frowned slightly and slowly turned his head to Katherine, who was now showing fear. She hope to Gaia Tifa would come up with something.

"I, Tifa Alexia Lockhart, promise to serve, honor, and obey Vincent Felix Valentine. It is an honor to be your future queen, my lord. I promise to stand by you no matter what may come in the future. Please my lord, make me your queen and wife."

Grimoire, Katherine, and even Vincent were surprised by Tifa's oath. Perhaps Grimoire was a little too harsh on the child. She may be oblivious to the way how things are done in Edge but she wasn't stupid. Within a few days, she'll be able to learn how to live up to his standards.

Vincent took her hand. "You are a brave child for making such a dedication to me. I accept your oath. Rise and face me so the privilege of being my wife and queen may be bestowed upon you."

Tifa looked up before rising slowly to her feet, never once blinking nor tearing her eyes away from Vincent's. He could tell she was scared, and for a ten year-old girl, she masked her fear very well.

"The oath has been accepted." Ramuh clarified and everyone in the ballroom clapped.

A knight with silver hair held a book in front of Vincent with an inked quill in his other hand. Vincent grabbed the quill and signed his name on the line. The knight then held the book in front of Tifa, and she too did the same, never letting go of Vincent's hand. Even though he was his father's son, she felt at ease whenever he was around. It wasn't a lot but any positive energy in this castle helps Tifa come to terms with everything. When she was done, Ramuh continued his speech.

"You two are now bonded to each other as husband and wife. Lord Vincent, you've stated in front of your peers, and King Grimoire and Queen Katherine that you've taken Tifa Alexia Lockhart as your future queen and wife. Finalize your decision."

Vincent nodded and turned his attention towards Tifa. He looked into her almond-colored eyes and saw that fear again. He placed both his hands on her shoulder before slowly bringing his lips to hers. Grimoire and Katherine were the first to stand and clap in triumph at their son, followed by everyone else. A mere second before Vincent pulled away, Tifa gave in a little and kissed Vincent back. When he pulled away, he looked at her in confusion, and that made her hang her head low. He knew the girl was only doing what she was told and she 'kissed' him, for lack of a better term, because she was scared of what would happen to her if she didn't. In Vincent's mind, he couldn't believe he kissed the child as if she was his age. He masked his disgust in himself for doing such a thing. His reign and marriage was going to be a difficult one.

Tifa never let go of Vincent's hand, even when they began walking towards the table where all the food was at. He felt the slight vibrations coming from the girl's hand. He looked down at her and sighed. He couldn't help but shudder at the feeling that he was going to be the reason why this girl's life is slowly diminishing.

* * *

><p>Vincent and his guardian walked towards a room Vincent dreaded to enter. The two men have been silent since his guardian had come to get Vincent from his personal chamber.<p>

"Are you actually going through with this?"

Emerald eyes were fixed on Vincent's pale face. The young prince darted his crimson eyes on the silver-haired man. "What do you think?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters are your actions."

"This has been heavy on my mind since the child walked in." Vincent had a hard time dealing with the events that has happened since earlier today.

"Not just a child, a child who is also your wife." The silver-haired man corrected.

"When I want your sarcasm, I'll ask for it, Sephiroth. Until then, keep it to yourself."

"….."

The pair stayed quiet until they reached their destination. Vincent placed his hands on the handle but was stopped by Sephiroth.

"Vincent, I've known you since I've sworn to protect you since you were a mere child yourself. I know you better than your mother and father, and whether you want to admit it or not, I know that you know that this is wrong."

Only Sephiroth was able to get away with talking to Vincent in such a manner. Sephiroth was a true and dear friend to Vincent, and unbeknownst to Grimoire, Vincent valued Sephiroth's friendship and loyalty. When Grimoire took the throne, Edge was swarming with fiends. Being king, he had to command a lot of attacks in order to protect the kingdom. Sephiroth is a skilled knight who mastered swordsmanship easily. Grimoire made Sephiroth guard Vincent during those dark times, and continued to do his duty as Vincent's guardian, despite Vincent being a skilled gunman, which is very rare, and an 18 year-old prince. Now that Vincent is much older, Sephiroth serves as Vincent's mentor.

Vincent avoided Sephiroth's emerald slits. He pulled the door open without a word to the silver-haired man and entered the room. Ramuh, Grimoire, and Katherine stood respectfully on the sides of the bed. Everyone nodded towards each other in regards and respect. Tifa sat on the bed with fear in her eyes as she saw her husband stand in front of the bed with the silver-haired man at his right side she saw earlier. She didn't want them to see her fear so she casted her glance downwards.

Vincent took in a deep breath as he signaled for Sephiroth's assistance. Sephiroth glared at Vincent, without Grimoire and Katherine seeing, as he began to shed away Vincent's armor and upper clothing, which led Vincent topless. Vincent was slim but he was muscular due to his intense training with a gun and occasionally with a sword. He crawled slowly onto the bed and made Tifa look at him.

She wanted to scream but she knew things would only worsen. She pleaded with Vincent, not to take her without any words being spoken. She didn't even want to begin to think what would happen to her. As for Vincent, he was conflicted. She was a child but his wife nonetheless. His marriage to her must be completed but deep down he knew this wasn't right, and if he didn't go through with this, his father would be displeased, and he would suffer consequences. Without thinking too much, he reached behind Tifa and began to unfasten her dress.

Tifa fought hard to contain her sobs. She covered her mouth with her hand in case anything slipped through. Sephiroth slightly shook his head and stole a glance from Ramuh, who didn't like what he was seeing. He simply looked down refusing to see the young prince deflowering the child. Once the ribbons were unfasten, Vincent grabbed the hem on each side but stopped when he look into Tifa's eyes again. He looked at himself through her tear-filled eyes, and he quickly looked down. This young girl was fighting so hard to contain her tears and sobs. She didn't comprehend what was happening to her but she knew something bad was happening. Vincent was practically ripping this girl's virginity away from her. Besides what little dignity she had left, her virginity was all that she had. It's bad enough he stole this girl's life; he didn't want to steal her sexual innocence.

He released the fabric, and stared her in the eyes. "Sephiroth will show you where you'll be sleeping at. Eventually, we'll share chambers."

Tifa was relieved that she was spared and so were Sephiroth and Ramuh. Both men looked at each other and towards their young prince with a new respect towards him.

"After, you've completed the consummation." Grimoire growled.

Katherine gasped and took several steps back away from her husband. She was grateful that he was too pissed to notice her movements. Vincent shook his head and continued to look at Tifa.

"I've signed my name and accepted her oath. The ceremony is completed, father."

"No it isn't!"

Vincent didn't have time to react to his father's harshness. His body was pressed violently against Tifa's. The unexpected force had forced her onto her back. The fear was slowly coming back to her.

"You will take her! It's part of the ritual."

"She's just a child!" Vincent shouted. "I can't do something like this towards her!"

"She's not here to take your pity. She's here to listen and fulfill your every command." Vincent did fine with the ceremony up to this point. For the first time in Vincent's life, he rebelled against Grimoire's actions.

"I….I promise to listen to you." Tifa finally spoke. "But please, my lords, don't do this to-

"You, shut up." Grimoire growled. "You will serve my son, just like you said you would. Now Vincent, continue the ceremony."

Vincent replied by getting from on top of Tifa and fixing her dress from the back. Grimoire glared at his son. This was a mistake that Vincent would learn from.

"Sephiroth and Ramuh grab Vincent and make him face me."

Vincent snapped his head towards his father as he left the room. Ramuh and Sephiroth grabbed Vincent and had his body facing the front of the door. Katherine stood in the same corner she managed to walk back to, and Tifa hopped off the bed in fear. Seconds later Grimoire appeared with a leather whip in his hands.

"Don't you dare soften your grip and let him escape." Sephiroth quickly tighten his grip, cursing himself for getting caught. "You may be his guardian, but my order overrules his orders."

Grimoire wounded the whip in his right hand with a tight grip on it. He glared down at his son in shame. Vincent didn't bother fighting off Sephiroth and Ramuh. He knew he would receive some type of punishment for his action.

"This is your last chance, Vincent. Get on that bed and fuck her or receive the punishment."

The silence was thick as Grimoire awaited an answer from his son. Katherine and Tifa stood in the corner, now shaken in fear. Sephiroth and Ramuh held onto Vincent out of obedience. Neither one of the men wanted this for the young prince. Vincent sighed and looked his father in the eyes.

"I won't do it."

Grimoire nodded his head and cracked the whip against Vincent's pale skin. Scarlet red blood began to profusely run down Vincent chest and Grimoire hit him again with the whip. The room began to smell like his blood and with each hit; Sephiroth and Ramuh's grip began to loosen from Vincent's constant bucking. When the third hit clashed against him, Vincent inhaled harshly. He didn't dare cry out to give his old man the satisfaction. Not satisfied, Grimoire whipped Vincent again and again and finally on the tenth hit he stopped. Grimoire motioned for Sephiroth and Ramuh to drop Vincent and they did.

The young prince fell to the floor with a loud thud and began exhaling in pain. Blood was dripping from his chest from each of his wounds. Grimoire threw the whip harshly onto the floor, walked up to Vincent, and punched him in the face, which Katherine gasped at.

"I am greatly disappointed in you. I'm counting on you to rule this nation, and how can you do that when you can't even fuck your wife?!"

Vincent spat out blood in response and looked murderously at his father without uttering a word. "Listen, all of you." Grimoire spoke. "Even though this incompetent fuck of a son is next in line, I'm still the king, and I will not tolerate any disrespect from no one! What I say goes, and that's the way it's going to be! Ramuh, tell Cissnei to come to my chambers."

Katherine didn't dare to protest against Grimoire. Ramuh bowed his head and quickly left the room with Grimoire and Katherine right behind him. She took one sorrowful look at her son before completely leaving the room. Sephiroth and Tifa quickly rushed to Vincent's aide.

"I….I'm…..I'm so sorry!" Tifa blubbered as tears began to run down he cheeks.

"It's…..nothing. Sephiroth, get me some hot water and towels."

Sephiroth nodded and quickly left the room. "Is….is there anything I can do for you?" Tifa mumbled.

Vincent shook his head. "No. Just stay close to me and Sephiroth."

Vincent slowly got up from the floor and sat on the bed. Tifa got up from her knees and looked closely at his wounds. He bled for her, yet she had nothing to say.

"That is one of the consequences of disobedience here in Edge." Vincent spoke as Tifa looked from his wounds to his eyes.

"Then….why didn't you listen to your daddy?"

"Because my father was asking me to do something very bad to you. You may not understand now, but eventually you will."

Tifa stayed quiet until Sephiroth arrived with the water and towels. He began spotting Vincent's chest with the hot towel. Vincent hissed as the hot rag connected with his wounds. With the blood gone, Tifa noticed that one wound was very deep. Vincent noticed this and so did Sephiroth.

"I have to cover that with something in order to prevent it from any infections." Sephiroth looked more into the wound.

"Or you could use Cure." Tifa spoke almost in a whisper.

When Vincent and Sephiroth turned their heads at the girl, she clasped her hand together and closed her eyes. She thought about the brave effort Vincent did, and how he didn't hurt her. She thought about her friend back in Edge and her mother. Her happy thoughts channeled a small, green energy into her hands. She slowly opened her hands and casted the green spell onto Vincent's wound. The wound instantly began to repair itself, and after a minute of the three observing the wound, it finally closed up but left a scar behind, starting from Vincent's right shoulder going downward.

"By the gods…."Sephiroth whispered.

"Where did you learn that?" Vincent asked.

"I read it from a book. My mommy had a very big library back at home. I read tons of stuff there."

"Vincent, if Grimoire were to find out about this-

"He won't." Vincent looked to Tifa. "Do you know any other magic?"

Tifa shook her head. "No. I wanted to learn that spell before moving on to other spells like Fire and Ice."

Vincent nodded. "Listen, this stays between us. If the king knew about you knowing magic, you'll be in serious trouble. Do you understand?"

Tifa nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good." Vincent got up from the bed and grabbed his upper clothing from the floor. "Father is very pissed so tonight you're staying in my chambers. Tomorrow, Sephiroth will show you your chambers."

Tifa nodded and followed Vincent and Sephiroth out of the room. She dodged a major bullet tonight, but she knew she had to get out of here fast. What happened to Vincent could happen to her, and she felt that at some point, Vincent may not want to take a punishment next time.


End file.
